Public's views wanted on fate of stump

IT'S ALL GREEK: The stump shelter known by its Greek name "dendrochronology". PHOTOS/LYNDA FERINGA

The sorry state of the redwood stump preserved under a shelter in Masterton's Queen Elizabeth Park is to be discussed at a district council task group meeting later this month.

Vandals have hacked away at the sides of the stump, stripping away all its bark, have chopped into it and have attempted to set fire to it.

Councillor Gary Caffell, who heads the parks and open spaces task group, said its future was on a task group agenda.

He said several suggestions had been given to the group as to what should happen to the stump, including one to have it removed and replaced with a picnic table and chairs.

"No firm decision on it has yet been made and we would like to hear from as many people as possible as to what should happen to the redwood stump," Mr Caffell said.

The towering redwood fell victim to a lightning strike in early 1988.

It was split asunder in one of the frequent thunderstorms that struck Wairarapa that summer, often accompanied by strong northwesterley winds that damaged trees.

Soon afterwards, a decision was made to fell the tree for safety reasons and when arborists counted the rings it was realised the redwood was one of the original McCardle plantings of 1878.

At that time, borough councillor John McDonald was keen to have timber from the tree milled and used elsewhere in the park but it was found the wood was not suitable for construction.

Mr McDonald then persuaded the council to erect a shelter over the stump, roofed with shingles cut from redwood.

The shelter - called a "dendrochronology" from the Greek words for tree (dendron), time (chronos) and study (ology) - was built in 1991.

Vandalism of the stump has distressed Masterton people, who have contacted the Times-Age asking for council action to be taken to preserve what remains of the redwood, on the grounds the stump is historic and a legacy of the original park plantings.

Comments made in an editorial written by the newspaper's editor Andrew Bonallack last Friday have drawn fire.

Mr Bonallack said it was difficult to get excited about "a large lump of dead tree" and suggested the only thing lacking was "a stick of dynamite to finish it off".